Dave Brandon is the man.
Quote today from our athletic director at the Detroit Econ. Club. This was gleaned from the paper that shall not be named. You can visit if you like. There are other quotes but this one is the best. It concerns how many wins RR needs to stay on.
“This crap about what’s the record got to be? It reduces those decisions to something so simplistic, it’s almost insulting. When you’re the director of athletics, and you’re looking at any program, not just football, any of our 27 sports, you have to look at the coach. You look at how we’re recruiting, who we’re recruiting, the information how we’re doing academically, get information about how we’re behaving ourselves in terms of our behavior and community service. You get a variety of inputs to measure the health of that program and the leadership that program is receiving and, based on a variety of inputs, you make decisions. That’s what I do and anybody in my job does. But it isn’t this, ‘If you’re 7-5 … .’ That’s nonsense.”
August 25th, 2010 at 3:25 PM ^
.....but if you are 5 and 7, well.....
August 25th, 2010 at 3:25 PM ^
Brandon will be the man when he changes his stance on "The Game".
August 25th, 2010 at 3:28 PM ^
I was hoping that is what this thread was about, him changing his mind on the game.
August 25th, 2010 at 3:30 PM ^
if Michigan goes 7-5. Try that stance if this year brings 4-8, yeah, not so much.
August 25th, 2010 at 3:33 PM ^
I agree with him. What if tate and Denard get season ending injuries? Is he still fired if he doesn't win 7? And who made 7 the number? Why not 8? Why not 4? It is completely arb. This "7" was made up by some moron and now everyone is saying it has to be 7. It makes zero sense. I am starting to lose my fucking mind.
August 25th, 2010 at 3:36 PM ^
As I mentioned in another thread:
dahblue: Dave Brandon disagrees with you and is insulted by your simplification of the decision-making process.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:03 PM ^
there it is, that word 'simple' comes up a lot when you express your opinions, hm.
August 25th, 2010 at 3:42 PM ^
blown away by this? He is simply saying that he will take a variety of factors into account before making any hiring/firing decisions. OMG GENIUS. Can anyone out there, in the history of CFB, find an AD quote that gives some sort of win/loss requirement before a season starts, bluntly stating that the coach will be fired if the requirement is not met?
Meanwhile, turning to things of actual relevance, The Game stands to lose a significant amount of its prestige under DB's watch and many are willing to give him a free pass. Why?
August 25th, 2010 at 3:45 PM ^
I like the fact he calls it insulting and nonsense. I agree that ADs are very PC on subjects like this. I just like that he basically calls anyone who puts out a number like that a fool.
August 25th, 2010 at 3:47 PM ^
I think a lot of people are, ironically, oversimplifying the comment and seeing it as an endorsement of Rodriguez. Something like "We're keeping him regardless of record", which is just dumb. It is interesting that Brandon always says "I stand behind my coach" and never "I stand behind Rich". It's clear that everything is business to him, which isn't always a bad thing.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:20 PM ^
I've said it before, but Brandon is a chief executive who talks like one. Anyone who thinks Rodriguez is safer with Brandon here is nuts. I think Martin would have been more likely to stick with him, because his legacy is tied to Rodriguez's performance. If Brandon is anything like the CEOs I've dealt with, his decision will come down to one thing. Considering the status of donations / finance and on field performance, will UM be better off with Rodriguez as the coach going forward or will they be better off replacing him. There is so much going into that equation that saying a specific record has to be met is insulting to the complexity of his job.
Brandon continually says Rodriguez is the coach for "the fall." That means he's going to sit down and figure it all out after this season and the NCAA stuff plays out. Brandon is not a savior for Rodriguez, I'm certain of it.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:28 PM ^
Thank you Captain Obvious, Brodie and Kilgore Trout. Finally an intelligent response and not some OMGMICHIGANISTHEBESTDAVEBRANDONISMYHERO. By the way, everytime I see someone refer to Brandon as DB, I understand they're his initials, all I can think of is dingleberry. I think he deserves more respect than that.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:40 PM ^
It's also true, no matter what the PR spin might be, that the luxury seats aren't as sold out as perhaps they should be at this point. Those tours are still going on, and there's seats to go around. A lot of people who put down deposits are not necessarily following through, especially when so many of them kept their lower bowl seats anyway.
If there's another disastrous season, there's pretty serious financial considerations at stake here. David Brandon has to realize that, and he's hedging his bets in his comments like a consumate professional. This guy is good.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:57 PM ^
It's also true, no matter what the PR spin might be, that the luxury seats aren't as sold out as perhaps they should be at this point. Those tours are still going on, and there's seats to go around.
While it is true that seats are still available, it is wise to remember that the university is attempting to sell those during an economic recession, in a state where unemployment is in double-digits. This is indisputably a factor as well.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:14 PM ^
I went through the club levels and a couple of the luxury suites, and even if I had the money there's no way I'd pony up for the suites. I thought the level of finish and design details were very basic and frankly unimpressive. The carpeting is downright cheesy, more befitting a hallway at a mid-range motel. The worst aspect might be the corridors to the suites, which look out onto a blank expanse of industrial roofing and wall parapet. I was surprised the architects couldn't manage to make that part of the suite level a bit more interesting.
The club seating levels are completely different, and if I had the dough that's where I'd go. Those are handled really well.
I also think the prohibition of alcohol would be a factor in the sales of the suites. I can understand banning it in the general seating areas, but seems to me the older swells in the suites ought to be able to bring their Chardonnay in.
August 25th, 2010 at 3:59 PM ^
I love that Brandon doesn't even accept the idiotic tendancies of so many media outlets. Instead of giving some cutesy, non-answer, the guy speaks to the reality of the situation and essentially says, "stop being an idiot with those idiot questions."
August 25th, 2010 at 4:32 PM ^
It's refreshingly blunt.
August 25th, 2010 at 3:45 PM ^
August 25th, 2010 at 4:09 PM ^
Brandon wishes he could tape this statement and play it every time he got hit with a "how many wins" job security question. Do reporters think they have to ask because it's their job or are they that short on creativity?
August 25th, 2010 at 4:13 PM ^
As a former player, Brandon knows what's going on, and understands the nature of the beast. He knows what he should and shouldn't hold Rich Rod accountable for. He'll make the right decision at the end of the year no matter what our record is. In my opinion, Rod should get a full 5 years to see what he can actually do regardless of our record.........ok, I can't take 3-8 again.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:22 PM ^
I'd hate to hear what you'd do if we went 3-9.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:30 PM ^
The 8 is right next to the 9, like it was impossible to understand what I meant.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:20 PM ^
I'm a big fan (thus far) of Dave Brandon. As a fan, I take no issue with saying "RR needs 8 to keep the job". That's my opinion as just one alum. From the AD, however, I want a professional response to all inquiries. That's just what he did here. He has no need to peg himself to a set number, but I'd caution those celebrating the next 25 years of RR in A2 that Dave's additional criteria (i.e. who we're recruiting, how we're behaving ourselves, etc.) don't necessarily bode well for the current coach.
In any event, my favorite quote from the interview relates to the NCAA hearing and is as follows:
Going back to what Bo taught us, we were prepared. We had done a mock hearing where we literally sat in the seats in the same configuration we would be in the hearing. The introductions were brief and (followed) the protocol. We were rehearsed to the point where, when we got to Seattle and were in the room, we felt like we’d been there. Where’d you learn that from? We were prepared, we had a plan in terms of what we wanted to communicate, how we wanted to communicate, and we did it very well.
I feel like we had previously seen an athletic department and head football coach acting unprepared in multiple arenas (from the coaching search to press conferences). DB is quickly changing that, seems to know his shit and understand the importance of preparation. He's the right guy for the job.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:26 PM ^
Now SAVE THE GAME!!!
August 25th, 2010 at 5:04 PM ^
If you ask me, RR's best chance is to win 7-8 games this year and pray that DB ignores all the other factors.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:09 PM ^
Good thing no one asked you.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:34 PM ^
Oh come on, why would I want to see RR go? I'm being genuine: I think that's his best chance of staying.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:01 PM ^
..best chance for continuing their recent domination of Michigan is for RR to get fired. That is why all of you OSU fans want RR to be fired so badly. An OSU fan's worst nightmare is RR being at Michigan long enough to get his personnel in place.
My advice for you and your ilk:
Sleep with one eye open
Grippin' your pillow tight
August 25th, 2010 at 6:12 PM ^
What OSU fan wants this guy fired? Seriously, go read some OSU forums. The sentiment is "this guy might get fired" not "we want this guy fired". For OSU fans, losing RR is like finding out that Santa Claus isn't real.
August 25th, 2010 at 8:28 PM ^
Maybe your Santa Clause..............but mine wears Blue instead of Scarlet.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:06 PM ^
FInally, someone brings it up. I have been scouring the internet and listening to sports talk radio for months looking for a definitive win total that would draw the line in the sand. Noone was talking about it on the Internet. No one talking about it on sports radio. Finally, it was brought up today at the econ club.
Then again, I'm not sure it matters. One of Wilbon's informants guarnteed him RR was going to be fired before the season started.
August 25th, 2010 at 9:35 PM ^
Met Brandon, had lunch with Moeller, spoke with Bruce Madej, and my friend restrained me when I saw Mark Snyder.
Yes, the news of the day (sparse news day) was Brandon's empahtic use of "crap" to describe the notion that Rich Rodriguez had to win X-number games. The quote is not only accurate, to the letter; it was the most animated that Brandon got all day. I turned around in my seat to stare laser beams through the guy with the 97.1 mic who was doing a Twitter feed from the Brandstatter-Brandon interview.
I gotta say; it sounds to me like OSU and Michigan in separate divisions is a done deal, in which Brandon is in the process of softening up everyone for inevitable news perforce on that. I told him I did not like it; I understand full well that a choice needs to be made. We can have a division that keeps Michigan and Ohio State together, and they can play the last game of the regular season every year, and never play each other in the Championship Game. Or they can go to separate divisions, and settle for a protected game in October. I think the decision has been made, and it is the one that I don't like; I think the Conference wants Michigan and Ohio State split up. Period. It's a shame, in my view, but there you go.
The leaders of the Economic Club of Detroit want to do this again next year, and talked about having a tent on the field for lunch and the speech.